Computing and Statistical Data Analysis

Computing and Statistical Data Analysis (CSDA | INR7001U)

Description: This course aims to introduce students to programming techniques using the C++ language on a Unix platform. It will also introduce students to techniques of probability and statistical data analysis and they will study applications of data analysis using C++ based computing tools.

- Introduction to C++ and the Unix operating system.

- Variables, types and expressions.

- Functions and the basics of procedural programming.

- I/O and files.

- Basic control structures: branches and loops.

- Arrays, strings, pointers.

- Basic concepts of object oriented programming.

- Probability: definition and interpretation, random variables, probability density functions, expectation values, transformation of variables, error propagation, examples of probability functions.

- The Monte Carlo method: random number generators, transformation method, acceptance-rejection method.

- Statistical tests: significance and power, choice of critical region, goodness-of-fit.

- Parameter estimation: samples, estimators, bias, method of maximum likelihood, method of least squares, interval estimation, setting limits, unfolding.


Juno Champion

The school holds Juno Champion status, the highest award of this IoP scheme to recognise and reward departments that can demonstrate they have taken action to address the under-representation of women in university physics and to encourage better practice for both women and men.